The present invention relates to storage installations permitting the automatic selection and removal of articles, such as, for example, pharmaceutical products.
These articles are stored on shelving composed of several units which can be grouped and joined together as required.
This shelving is fitted with plates or other supporting elements, which are arranged at different levels and divided up over their length by a series of carrying elements of different width, in which the stored articles can slide.
Installations exist in which each carrying element is fitted with a device making it possible to move the article forward, as described, for example, in German Application DE-AS No. 1,449,152, first published on Jan. 15, 1970.
This device consists of a pushing member which can move along the carrying element when it is actuated by a control mechanism. This control mechanism moves horizontally and vertically along the front side of the shelving in order to remove one article at a time.
In a storage installation in which there are a large number of different articles to be removed, it is obvious that a device such as described in the above-mentioned application no longer meets the requirements in view of the time required for positioning the control device and actuating each carrying element for the selected product.
Furthermore, these installations must have a rigid and bulky structure, in particular for the part comprising the device for controlling and removing the articles, which are located on the same front side of the shelving.
The stocking of articles in an installation of this type is also very difficult and makes it necessary to stop the installation in order to retract the pushing member with the aid of a special apparatus.